UEFA U19 Championship: Knockout Time!

The last time we discussed the UEFA U19 Championship on the blog, it was the 3rd round of the group stages. A number of teams were still slugging it out for qualification to the knockout stage.

8 teams have been reduced to four as the tournament has entered the semi-final stage. It’s “go big or go home” time for some of Europe’s best players.

In Group A, Portugal finished as table-toppers, with 2 wins and 1 draw. Scoring 5 goals and conceding 3, they had the same goal difference with Czech Republic who also won 2 but lost to Portugal by a 1-2 margin.

In Group B, the England U19s had a rollercoaster ride, winning all three of their group games, scoring 7 goals and conceding just once! The Netherlands finished in second place, with 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss, scoring 5 times and conceding 3 goals.

The English teenagers will be looking to the strength in the forward line to push them all the way to final – and probably the trophy. With players like Ben Brereton and K. Ryan Sessegnon boasting 3 goals so far in the tournament, the Czech Republic will be wary of their opponents.

In the other semi-final game, both teams (Portugal and Netherlands) have scored the same number of goals and have also conceded the same number of goals. Joël Piroe (3 goals) of the Netherlands and Rui Sousa (2 goals) of Portugal will be looking to bang in the goals that will make all the difference.

Portugal vs Netherlands: Combined, four out of their six group games ended with both teams scoring. So what do you think would be the outcomes of the game?
Both Teams to Score on the cards?
Over 1.5 Goals?Click here to go predict and win!

The English team will be looking to emulate their U20 counterparts that went all the way in the FIFA U20 tournament in South Korea. Czech Republic will be looking to stop them. The Portuguese youngsters will be looking forward to adding a trophy to the trophies cabinet as soon as possible, while the young Dutch squad will be looking to put a smile on faces in Netherlands.

The stage is set. Its knockout time in Georgia and a trophy is at stake. Which two teams will make it to the final? Do you know them already? Then leave us a comment and let us know who you think they are.